Sheet feeding and cutting mechanism



1,638,221 1927- R. J. SMITH SHEET FEEDING AND CUTTING MECHANISM o i i l F l April 15, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 9 1927.

R. J. SMITH SHEET FEEDING AND CUTTING MECHANISM I Original Fil d April- 15, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .BYWX

' 1,638,221 Aug. 9 1927- R. J. SMITH SHEET FEEDING AND CUTTING MECHANISM Original Filed April 1 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 3 W I \lll 1 $6 um;

6'6 46%) i: 66 5 W J i ii /6 'i 3 ii K iv 50$ 6. v 9 1i? M /0 46 J 0'5 4 gwttmtoa 7,3 617 meLZJSmZh,

Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

UNITED STA RUSSELL J'. SMITH, 0F MENASHA, WISCONSINZ SHEET FEEDING AND CUTTING MECHANISM.

Original application filed. April 15, 1925, Serial No. 23,227. Divided and this application filed December 19, 1925. Serial No. 76,419.

My present invention relates to a sheet feeding and cutting mechanism, particularly adapted for use in connection with a bottle capping machine such as is disclosed in my prior application serially numbered 23.227, filed April 15, 1925, of which this applicationis a division, but capable of practically any other industrial application where it is intended that an elongated sheet shall be advanced step by step and severed into predetermined lengths, my purpose being to provide a mechanism of this kind that is comparatively of simple construction, cheap and easy to produce, strong, durable, and thoroughly reliable and efficient in operation.

With the foregoing and other purposes in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views Fig. 1 is a vertical section through my sheet feeding and-cutting mechanism, showing its application to the frame of a bottle capping machine of the type shown in my Fig. 2, a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 4, a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, an enlarged side elevation showing particularly the step by step feeding mechanism of my invention; and

Fig. 6, an enlarged detail section on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

For convenience, bit without intent thereby to indicate any restriction in the range of usefulness of the mechanism constituting my invention, I have shown and will describe same as embodied in abottle capping machine of the type disclosed in my aforementioned application 23,227, its purpose as thus embodied being to feed a sheet of material step by step over the mouths of bottles successively brought to a capping-position adjacent to my mechanism, and to sever said sheet of material into predeterminedlengths adapted to be secured over the mouths of the bottles to form caps or covers therefor.

Only such portions of the bottle capping machine have been shown as are essential to aforesaid prior application;

a clear understanding of my invention, the

frame of the machine being indicated generally at 10 and including a lateral extension 12 over which travels a conveyor belt 14, actuated in any suitable manner for the purpose of conveying bottles to and from the position shown in Fig. 1 in which the capping or closing operation is performed by mechanism not shown.

Bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to frame 10, or, if desired, forming an integral part of said frame, is a plate 16, carrying bearings 18 in which is journaled the aforementioned capping mechanism, not shown, while journaled in suitable bearings carried by said frame, above plate 16, is a horizontal drive shaft 20 to which is affixed a disk 22 having a cam slot 24 formed in one face thereof.

The mechanism constituting my invention consists essentially of a pair of spaced, parallel bracket arms 26, 26, each havlng a-laterally extending, vertically disposed fuot 28 bearing against plate 16 and secured thereto by bolts 30, the heads 32 of said bolts being engaged in T-slots 34' formed in said plate whereby said bracket arms may be secured in different vertically adjusted positions with respect ,to conveyor belt 14, this for the purpose of disposing the sheet feeding and cutting mechanism ,carri'ed by said bracket arms in correct position for bottles of different heights that may be placed upon conveyor 14.

Connecting the bracket arms 26, 26, at or near their lower ends, is a bar 36, and detachably secured to said bar is a. lower horizontally disposed shear member 38, while above same and adapted for cooperation therewith is an upper, horizontally disposed shear member 50, which latter is detachably connected to a vertically reciprocable bar 42, guided in its vertical movements by fingers 44 at its ends riding against straight edge portions of the bracket arms 26, 26, and by a pin 46 thereon passing through openings in a pair of vertically spaced lugs 48, 48 projecting from a second cross bar 50 connecting said bracket arms intermediate their ends.

A collar 52 is secured on pin 46 and between this collar and the lowermost lug 48 is arranged a coil spring 54, constantly urgin bar 42 and the upper shear member 40 cai ried thereby towards their uppermost limits of movement as determined by engagement of bar 42 with the lowermost lug 48,

in which position shear member 40 is spaced above shear member 38 for the passage of a 1soheet 56 of material between said shear memers.

Between bracket arms 26, 26, on a pair of vertically spaced shafts 58, 58 journaled in said bracket arms, is mounted a pair of rollers 60, 60 between which sheet 56-passes, whereby it is fed, upon predetermined intermittent amounts of rotation being imparted to said rollers, in step by step manner to advance predetermined portions thereof between the shear members 38, 40 and over the mouth of a bottle 62 supported by conveyor belt 14 adjacent to said shear members.

A pair of intermeshing gears 64, 64 mounted on shafts 58, 58, respectively, provide ,for rotation of rollers 60, 60 in opposite directions for advancing sheet 56 when rotation is imparted to one of said shafts, and in order to rotate one of said shafts intermittently to accomplish step by step feed of the sheet 56, one of said shafts, upper shaft 58 in this instance, has loosely mounted thereon a combined spur gear 66 and ratchet wheel 68, the latter having cooperating therewith a pawl 70 pivoted to an arm 72 affixed to said shaft -whereby rotation of said ratchet wheel in one direction will cause rotation of shafts 58, 58 and the feed rollers carried thereby, and rotation thereof in an opposite direction will be ineffective to move said rollers.

Fixed on a shaft 74 suitably journaled above uppermost shaft 58, is a segmental gear 76, meshing with spur gear 66 and adapted to be oscillated to impart rotation to said spur gear thereby to intermittently rotate ratchet wheel 68 and impart intermittent rotary feed motion to rollers 60, 60, the means for oscillating said gear 76 consisting of a rod 78 pivoted at its lower end to gear 76 and at its upper end to a lever arm 80, which latter in turn is pivoted to a part of frame 10 and carries a roller 82 extending into cam slot 24 whereby, upon rotation of shaft 20, arm 80 is raised and lowered at predetermined times, as determined by the shape of cam slot 24, and oscillatory motion as a consequence is imparted to gear 76. Rod 78 preferably is made adjustable in length so as to permit vertical adjustments of the mechanism as aforementioned, and to this end it is formed in this instance of two telescoping sections secured together in any position of telescopic adjust-.

ment b a set screw 84.

Carried by shaft 74 is a hammer 86 movable by rotation of said shaft into and out of striking engagement with the upper end of pin 46 and so angularly disposed with respect to said shaft as to strike said pin upon completion of the oscillatory movement imparted to gear 76 in a direction to cause rollers 60, 60 to advance sheet 56, the consequence being that when a portion of sheet 56 of predetermined length, as determined by the oscillatory movement imparted to gear 76 by cam disk 22, has been advanced between shear members 38, 40, shear member 40 is forced suddenly downward and cooperates with shear member 38 to cut off the advanced portion of the sheet, hammer 86 being raised upon movement of gear '76 in an opposite direction and spring 54 acting to return shear member 40 to its elevated position whereby the operation of advancing and cutting off a portion of sheet 56 is repeated for each revolution of cam disk 20.

Summarized, the operation of my mechanism is as follows: A roll of sheet material is mounted in any suitable manner adjacent to my mechanism and the free end thereof is passed between feed rolls 60, 60. Shaft 20 being driven in any suitable manner, rotates cam disk 22 and this disk, acting through its connection with lever arm 80 alternately lifts and depresses rod 78, oscillating segmental gear 7 6 first in a direction to cause rollers 60, 60 to advance a portion of sheet 56 between shear members 38 and 40 and to cause hammer 86 to strike pin 46 and as a consequence impart movement to shear member 40 to cut the sheet, and then in an opposite direction during which rollers 60, 60 remain idle due to the ratchet connection between gear 76 and upper shaft 58. Thus, during each revolution of cam disk 22' a portion of sheet 56 is fed between and severed by shear members 38, 40, in which connection it is pointed out that segmental gear 76 may be and preferably is of such dimensions that its toothed edge is ready to leave gear 68 at the instant hammer 86 strikes pin 46 whereby advancement of the sheet material during the cutting off operation is avoided.

I claim:

1. In mechanism of the class described, in combination with a machine frame, a feeding and cutting mechanism mounted on said frame, a cam device carried by said frame for operating said mechanism, an adjustable connection between said cam device and said mechanism, and an adjustable connection between said mechanism and said frame, whereby said mechanism may be moved to and operated at different positions with respect to said frame.

2. In a feeding and cutting mechanism, a pair of cooperating feed rollers, a reciprocable shear member, an oscillatory shaft adjacent to said shear member. a hammer carried by said shaft adapted to strike said shear member to operate it, a segmental gear carried-by said oscillatory shaft, a lever arm fixed with respect to one of said feed rollers, a pawl carried by said lever arm, a pinion Ill roller, said pawl engaging said ratchet wheel 1,oaa,221 B and a ratchet wheel fixed with respect to one nother and loose with respect to said feed to, and means for operating said hammer.

4. In a feeding and cutting mechanism, a shear member, a hammer normally spaced from and adaped to be moved into striking engagement with said shear member to operate it, a continuously rotatable drive shaft, and a geared connection including a ratchet mechanism between said drive shaft and said hammer eflectiveto cause intermittent move-- ment of said hammer with res ect to said shaft during continuous rotatlon .of said shaft.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

and said segmental gear being in mesh with said pinion whereby oscillation of said segmental gear rotates said feed roller intermittently in a single direction and means for oscillating said gear and shaft.

3. In a feeding and cutting mechanism, a ir of spaced bracket arms, a bar connectmg said arms, a reciprocable shear member carried by said bar, and including fingers at its ends riding against said bracket arms to guide it inits reciprocations, yieldable means urging said shear member towards its limit of movement in a non-shearing direction, a hammer adapted to strike said shear v RUSSELLJ. SMITH.

member to impart shearing movement there- 

